The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of apple tree named ‘Masonova’. The new tree ‘Masonova’ (experimental designation S47-24-42) resulted from a planned hybridization programme and is a selection from a cross between the pollen parent ‘Empire’ (unpatented) and the seed parent ‘S21-42-69’ (unpatented) in 1974. The cultivar ‘Empire,’ which is a cross between McIntosh (unpatented) and Red Delicious (unpatented), was released in Geneva, N.Y., in 1966. ‘Empire’ is a cultivar that gained wide commercial acceptance for a number of reasons including productivity under a wide range of planting systems, harvest during the gap between McIntosh and Red Delicious; resistance to preharvest fruit drop and storage scald, low susceptibility to fire blight, and fruit quality with respect to color, firmness, and storage. The resulting tree was selected when growing in a cultivated area in Nova Scotia, Canada.
More specifically, pollen was collected from the cultivar ‘Empire’, stored and dried for use in the traditional crossing method. At the full bloom stage, the emasculated flowers of ‘S21-42-69’ were pollinated with the dried pollen from ‘Empire’. Seeds were collected from successfully pollinated fruit in the fall of 1974. In 1978, trees were planted in the seeding evaluation field block in Kentville, Nova Scotia. Fruit was evaluated from 1984 to 1988 and re-propagation for field evaluations was done in 1991.
The selection of ‘Masonova’ took place in 1989. Selection criteria for ‘Masonova’ included scab resistance, combined with the desirable eating quality traits of ‘Empire’ and solid, complete red coloration of the fruit.
Trees of ‘Masonova’ were compared to ‘Novaspy’ (unpatented) and ‘Liberty’ (unpatented) apple varieties, referred to herein as the “reference varieties.” ‘Novaspy’ originated at AAFC as a cross between ‘Nova Easygro’ (unpatented)×(Red Spy×Golden Delicious, both unpatented), while ‘Liberty’ originated in Geneva, N.Y., as a cross between ‘Macoun’×Purdue 54-12 (both unpatented).
The comparative tests and trials for ‘Masonova’ were conducted in 2003 and 2004. The fruit and tree characteristics were evaluated on trees planted in 1992 in a cooperative scab-resistant cultivar trial. The trial consisted of four trees of each variety grafted on ‘Budogovsky 490’ (unpatented) rootstock. They were planted twelve feet apart in rows which were spaced at eighteen feet.
Asexual reproduction shows that the distinguishing characteristics of ‘Masonova’ are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. Progeny was first asexually propagated in 1991 in Kentville, Nova Scotia.